Our new stigma research looks at diabetes stigma at scale across the UK. With blame, shame and stigma staggeringly high across type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes – what can be done to tackle it?
Nobody should experience judgment or blame because of a health condition. But our new survey, conducted by YouGov and kindly funded by Abbott shows almost 9 in 10 people with type 1 diabetes and 7 in 10 people with type 2 diabetes experience blame and judgement for their condition.
This survey is the first UK version of the Diabetes Stigma Assessment Scale which is a self-report of measures of perceived and experienced stigma related to living with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, carried out in six other countries around the world.
We are an anti-stigma organisation – and we are striving to support and advocate for all people with diabetes to get the treatment and help they need, free from blame or judgement. Our new stigma position paper, Tackling Diabetes Stigma Position statement: August 2025 (PDF, 1,539KB), sets out what we know so far about diabetes stigma and what needs to change.
What is diabetes stigma?
Diabetes stigma arises from misconceptions and misunderstandings of the causes of diabetes and the everyday reality of living with the condition.
This is an inaccurate and overly simplistic view that people with diabetes are to blame for their condition and its complications that is commonplace amongst society.
And stigma isn’t unique to any one type of diabetes - we know from additional research we’ve commissioned that people living with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes can experience the same misconceptions - almost half (48%) have personally experienced the misconception that diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar.
“If I'm having a hypo and eating a chocolate bar, I'll sometimes hear the comment wasn't it because you ate too many sweets that you got diabetes?’”
Person with type 1 diabetes
Stigma inside and outside the home
Stigma can come from everyday interactions between friends, family, colleagues, teachers, classmates and members of the public – something we refer to as ‘interpersonal stigma’.
It can appear as regular comments about what should or shouldn’t be eaten, a lack of safe place to inject insulin, or exclusion from activities that others are taking part in.
People from South Asian heritage can experience stigma even more intensely from their community. Our research in 2023 showed that for some, this leads to intense pressure to keep their diabetes a secret, and a tendency to internalise the stigma and make significant life decisions based on it – for example not having children because of their diabetes.
Outside of friends and family, stigma is rife across social and mainstream media. Media publications regularly frame type 2 diabetes as being simply the result of “lifestyle choices” – without mentioning the genetic, biological and environmental factors that can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Across social media, jokes and comments about diabetes reinforce misconceptions. We even see this from people living with diabetes themselves - where individuals are quick to distance themselves from other types of diabetes or are even overtly stigmatising in their comments.
At healthcare appointments, people speak of the emotional toll of feeling ’told off’ by their healthcare team if their blood glucose levels have been fluctuating, without regard for the effort it takes to balance food, exercise, insulin and even the impact of other factors like weather and stress.
People from Black African, Black Caribbean and South Asian ethnicities told us that healthcare professionals sometimes make assumptions about their diet based on their cultural background - for example, assuming someone eats a lot of rice because they are South Asian or cooks with certain ingredients.
And a consequence of the blame and judgement towards people living with diabetes, from nearly all corners of life, is internalised stigma – where negative external attitudes turn to internal shame – people who experience or internalise stigma are more likely to report depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, diabetes distress, and lower self-esteem.
The wider impact of stigma
As well as impacting mental wellbeing, diabetes stigma is a broader health risk. Some studies suggest diabetes stigma has been associated with higher blood sugar levels; lower quality healthcare consultations, people disengaging from healthcare; and delayed access to treatments, technologies, and specialist care.
“I often don't go to appointments. I know I'm stupid. I make up all these ridiculous excuses. Oh, it's raining. Oh, I'm tired today. I just feel so bad when I'm there that it's better for me not to go”.
Woman living with type 2 diabetes, 50 years old
In 2023, we shared the shocking revelation that over half of people interviewed in our market research admitted to avoiding healthcare appointments because of stigma. If these figures are similar nationwide, we’re concerned about the scale of this problem.
Stigma may also be impacting financial support for diabetes prevention, care, treatments, programmes, and research. In the UK approximately 1 in 5 adults are living with diabetes or prediabetes but national research funding data indicates investment in diabetes is well below other non-communicable diseases.
We believe addressing and reducing diabetes stigma is one of the most impactful ways we can improve lives and advance the diabetes cause. And while there is limited available research on what consistently works to tackle diabetes stigma, we believe there are important interventions we can make, but only if we work collectively to achieve them.
Collective action
Overcoming deep-set attitudes and commonplace misconceptions will require international collaboration and collective leadership from everyone who communicates about and has influence over diabetes including - people living with the condition, campaigners, researchers, health professionals, media, industry and policymakers.
We must challenge the current narrative around diabetes which centres on personal responsibility and present the more accurate portrayal of diabetes – a condition which has different types, causes, treatments and realities for those living with it.
The key is storytelling
Stories can help educate people on the reality of diabetes in a way that our minds remember far more easily than facts.
The person who tells the story is also important - people living with all types of diabetes must have their stories told, especially since the visibility of experiences similar to your own can provide important emotional reassurance and resilience against stigma.
The words and language we choose when communicating about diabetes and towards those living diabetes is also important. We can choose person-centred language which avoids labelling a person as their condition, and is based on facts and biology, rather than blame or failure.
This is particularly important in the context of healthcare. While many healthcare professionals are supportive of people living with diabetes, it’s important their interactions with people do not leave them feeling blamed and judged, ideally through anti-stigma guidance in early clinical training and throughout continuous professional development.
We will also engage healthcare leaders, policy makers and political stakeholders to change the political discourse around diabetes - away from individual blame and towards understanding its complex causes and treatments. We will share evidence, stories, and impactful messaging to raise awareness of diabetes stigma and its impacts on people’s health.
We will promote the design of policies and practices that are non-stigmatising for people living with diabetes and advocate for equitable access to technology, treatment and support, addressing disparities faced by those with health inequalities.
Colette Marshall, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said:
“Diabetes is serious, and as well as managing a relentless condition, far too many people are also dealing with blame and judgment. No one should feel judged for their diagnosis. We must challenge the harmful myths and misconceptions that fuel this stigma and work together to create a society that offers understanding and support, not shaming and stereotyping.”
Finally, it’s important that people living with diabetes can recognise stigma and challenge it, maintaining their self-esteem and avoiding self-stigma. By co-leading our approach to tackling stigma in partnership with those experiencing it, we can change the narrative around the condition and help people living with diabetes to speak up for the healthcare and the treatment they are entitled to.
If you want to help us tackle stigma – you can tell us what you think needs to change.
